More About
This Textbook

Overview

Given the many important developments in Sino-American relations in the past decade, there is a desperate need for a succinct, historically grounded assessment of the increasingly contentious and complicated relationship between these two giants of the world stage. This classic text by one of America´s leading diplomatic historians analyzes the concerns and conceptions that have shaped U.S.­China policy -as well as of their important consequences.In its first three editions, America´s Response to China set the standard for introductions to this important topic. This 4th Edition is the most up-to-date work on the subject. Starting with a discussion of the mercantile interests of the newly independent American colonies and ranging through the dramatic causes and effects of the Tiananmen Square Massacre, America´s Response to China, 4th Edition continues into the Bush and Clinton years, utilizing material available only in the last five to ten years. With equal parts trenchant analysis and insightful synthesis, Warren I. Cohen provides an excellent summary of U.S.­China relations on the eve of the twenty-first century.

In this updated edition of a classic work, Warren Cohen has expanded his original discussion to include sections on the Reagan administration and cultural relations among other topics.

Editorial Reviews

American Diplomacy
- Steven I. Levine

Warren Cohen... [is] the leading historian of Sino-American relations of his generation. This book has much to offer both newcomers to its subject as well as those who have been studying relations between these two countries nearly as long as its author.

John King Fairbank

A fresh new look at the history of United States diplomacy towards China....The subject will never be the same again.

Steven I. Levine

Warren Cohen . . . [is] the leading historian of Sino-American relations of his generation. This book has much to offer both newcomers to its subject as well as those who have been studying relations between these two countries nearly as long as its author.

Booknews

The first edition was published in 1971, and the second about nine years later. Cohen history dept. and Asians Studies Center, Michigan State U. has revised and brought up to date this account of the evolution of Sino-American relations from purely commercial interests to complex geopolitical and ideological concerns. The bibliography is in the form of a guiding essay. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR booknews.com

American Diplomacy

Warren Cohen... [is] the leading historian of Sino-American relations of his generation. This book has much to offer both newcomers to its subject as well as those who have been studying relations between these two countries nearly as long as its author.

American Political Science Review

A fresh new look at the history of United States diplomacy towards China.... The subject will never be the same again.

— John King Fairbank

Political Science Quarterly

Careful, well-documented.

Pacific Historical Review

Lucid and concise... a model of its kind, thoughtful, even-tempered, and extremely well-written.

China Quarterly

Provocative and perceptive.

The Daily Beast

A venerable work.

— Jeffrey N. Wasserstrom

American Political Science Review
- John King Fairbank

A fresh new look at the history of United States diplomacy towards China.... The subject will never be the same again.

Related Subjects

Meet the Author

Warren I. Cohen is Distinguished University Professor Emeritus in the Department of History at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and senior scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

Your Rating:

Your Recommendations:

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Our reader reviews allow you to share your comments on titles you liked,
or didn't, with others. By submitting an online review, you are representing to
Barnes & Noble.com that all information contained in your review is original
and accurate in all respects, and that the submission of such content by you
and the posting of such content by Barnes & Noble.com does not and will not
violate the rights of any third party. Please follow the rules below to help
ensure that your review can be posted.

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

We highly value and respect everyone's opinion concerning the titles we offer.
However, we cannot allow persons under the age of 13 to have accounts at BN.com or
to post customer reviews. Please see our Terms of Use for more details.

What to exclude from your review:

Please do not write about reviews, commentary, or information posted on the product page. If you see any errors in the
information on the product page, please send us an email.

Reminder:

- By submitting a review, you grant to Barnes & Noble.com and its
sublicensees the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right and license to use the
review in accordance with the Barnes & Noble.com Terms of Use.

- Barnes & Noble.com reserves the right not to post any review -- particularly
those that do not follow the terms and conditions of these Rules. Barnes & Noble.com
also reserves the right to remove any review at any time without notice.

A thorough history of America's relationship with China

Foreign relations historian Warren I. Cohen does a masterly job of condensing more than 200 years of Sino-American history (up to the Clinton administration, so not including today's complex fiscal ties) into a brief, readable book. For the most part, his approach is factual and reportorial - Cohen avoids grand sweeps of theory and interpretation. However, to the untrained eye, this book may seem quite confusing: Cohen uses the Wade-Giles system of romanizing Chinese characters, rather than the more familiar pinyin system, and his organization of historic material is only very roughly chronological. Readers will nonetheless acquire a strong sense of the important themes, the major evolutionary stages and the prominent figures involved in the development of Sino-U.S. relations. getAbstract recommends this retrospective account to anyone with a professional, non-academic interest in the history of America's relationship with China.

Was this review helpful? YesNoThank you for your feedback.Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.